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sethjohnson30 is it only your palms or when you are in the pool does it affect other parts of your body?

Yup just my palms

11-20-2012 04:35 PM

LyzzaRyzz

I don't feed blood worms, no one sells them around me and freeze dried is just so messy! I don't have crypts either!
You guys all have great ideas though!
I'm glad to know I'm not the only one, for whatever reason..
Next time it happens, I'll have to test my palms for redness.
I don't think it's the position of my arm, it happens in all my tanks, big or small.

11-20-2012 03:27 PM

etgregoire

I do have a couple crypts in the tank but I don't necessarily handle them every time. Maybe just having my hand in the water! Crazy!

11-20-2012 03:04 PM

AaronT

Do you keep Cryptocorynes?

My hands get itchy and a little swollen if I work with Crypts a lot.

11-20-2012 02:53 PM

etgregoire

Haha... Wow I have been wondering this. My arms get pretty itchy after I've been working in my tank. Well, I really only use my right arm. But it will feel itchy on the underside of the arm where my skin is a little more soft than the outside of my arm. I felt like I was crazy but I have been wondering for a while if anyone else felt this!

I use bloodworms every once in a while, but not often - so I don't think thats my cause.

I'm just sure to wash my arm really well with antibacterial soap when I finish.

11-20-2012 02:45 PM

chunkychun

agree with diana, r.sok you should just stay away from blood worms.

sethjohnson30 is it only your palms or when you are in the pool does it affect other parts of your body?

11-20-2012 02:41 PM

chunkychun

could it be the positioning of your arms and you losing circulation after a while?

palms are sensitive with lost of nerves and blood flow to it. it could be just the change in temperature or something in water to your reaction.

try to see if your palm is red by pushing on it and seeing if it turns white "blanching".

if it is not positional and your palm is a bit red you may want to see your doctor. google palmar erythema.

11-20-2012 02:37 PM

Diana

R.sok, that sounds like you really are sensitive to blood worms. I would stop feeding blood worms. Dry hands may be related to the minerals in the water. Washing your hands thoroughly after having them in the tank would help there.

Sethjohnson30, that seems not to be related to blood worms. Especially if it happens in all sorts of other water like swimming pools and other non-aquarium water.

11-20-2012 10:45 AM

Sethjohnson30

I feed bloodworms and I get itchy palms when working in the tank. But I don't think they are related. My palms always get itchy when they've been in the water long after they've pruned up. This happens to me in hot tubs,swimming pools,aquariums, any time my hands are in the water for a long period of time.this does not happen to me if I just reach in to do some thing quick like replanting a stem that floated up.

11-20-2012 10:15 AM

R.sok

I never get itchy palms working in my tank, Only thing I notice is my skin gets dry but I wash my hands right after. I dose comprehensive

I DO however get an itchy reaction feeding my betta freeze dried worms, if I get any smell of it my eyes also start to water & for that sole reason I have switched to feeding frozen blood worms

11-20-2012 05:45 AM

Diana

Blood worms can cause an itchy reaction. The worst I have heard about is someone feeding freeze dried bloodworms, then sort of just dusting off their hands, then touching their eye. Had to go to the doctor.

To test this put some blood worms in a jar of water, make it pretty concentrated, and stick your hand in it.

If you feed blood worms in any form (frozen, freeze dried or as a component in a blended food) STOP.

Wear gloves until you have done several very thorough cleanings, vacuum the substrate the best you can, filter cleanings... and gotten rid of the blood worm remnants.
Once you are sure the tank is clean, try it bare handed again.
If the problem does not come back, it might have been the blood worms.

If this is not the answer, then in turn eliminate one at a time everything else you use in the tank. (put some of each item, one at a time, in a jar of water and stick your hand in)
Protein based things can cause allergies, other things can be irritants. Even if you do not normally react to much there seems to be something in the aquarium. By isolating each item in a separate jar you will highly likely figure out what is the problem and then you can eliminate it from the tank.

11-20-2012 04:39 AM

LyzzaRyzz

Yeah! It's not like poison ivy, or anything, but like dry skin kinda. But deeper.

11-20-2012 03:44 AM

bgallodoro24

Hey guys my arms itch after being in my fishroom working in tanks. Nothing unbearable, but it does itch. I dont put anything in the water except.....water.

11-20-2012 03:32 AM

LyzzaRyzz

I have guppies, cherry barbs, BN pleco, RN pleco, a betta, some snails...my tanks are planted, but I haven't heard of any of the plants I have causing itchiness.

11-20-2012 03:30 AM

LyzzaRyzz

I dose with flourish comprehensive supplement..it's my palms up to my first knuckle...but my whole arm going in the tank, so I don't see why it's just my palms. I don't have any serious allergies, pets, dust, bees...

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